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What if DreamWorks Pictures/DreamWorks Animation was founded in 1934?/How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a 2019 American computer-animated action fantasy film loosely based on the book series of the same name by Cressida Cowell, produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is the sequel to How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) and the final installment in the How to Train Your Dragon film trilogy. Written and directed by Dean DeBlois, the film stars the voices of Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, Craig Ferguson, and F. Murray Abraham. The film's plot follows Hiccup seeking a dragon utopia called "The Hidden World" while coming to terms with Toothless' new bond with a female Light Fury. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World was released on January 3, 2019, in Australia, and on February 22 in the United States. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised the animation, action sequences, musical score, voice acting, characters, emotional weight of the story and conclusion. It grossed over $519 million worldwide, becoming the eighth highest-grossing film of 2019 and the second highest-grossing animated film of that year, as well as Universal's highest-grossing animated film not to be produced by Illumination Entertaiment. Plot One year after the events of the previous film, Hiccup, Toothless and their fellow dragon-riders continue to rescue captured dragons in order to bring them to Berk and its bustling dragon and human utopia. Their efforts have resulted in the island becoming overpopulated with dragons. In a response to the overcrowding, Hiccup desires to find the "Hidden World", a safe haven for dragons spoken of by his late father Stoick. Meanwhile, a white female Fury, held captive by warlords, is given to infamous dragon hunter Grimmel the Grisly as bait for him to capture Toothless for the warlords' use as an alpha. Toothless discovers the white Fury (dubbed a "Light Fury" by Astrid) in the woods and the two become enchanted with each other until the Light Fury, sensing Hiccup's nearby presence, flees. Hiccup and Tuffnut later discover Grimmel's dragon traps in the area. Grimmel visits Hiccup that night, revealing he has hunted down all the other Night Furies, but Hiccup has prepared an ambush to capture him; Grimmel escapes, burning down Hiccup's house and part of Berk in the process. In response, Hiccup rallies the citizens and dragons to leave Berk on a quest to find the Hidden World and safety from dragon hunters. Mid-journey, the Berkians discover an island on which they initially plan to rest for a short while, but soon begin to settle there, even if only temporarily. Seeing Toothless's inability to fly solo hindering his growing relationship with the Light Fury, Hiccup rebuilds an automatic tail for him. Upon receiving the tail, Toothless flies off, meeting the Light Fury on his own and flying with her to an unknown land. Valka, on a scouting patrol, notices Grimmel's approaching army and quickly reports back to Hiccup. Hiccup and the dragon riders head to capture Grimmel; yet, they fall into his trap and barely escape. Ruffnut is captured, but irritates Grimmel until he lets her go and secretly follows her to the Berkians' new location. Hiccup and Astrid, who are searching for Toothless, find the Hidden World and see Toothless and the Light Fury leading the dragons there with Toothless now betrothed to her. When the two are soon discovered, Toothless rescues Hiccup and Astrid and returns them to the Berkians, with Hiccup realizing his people would be intruders and unsafe in the Hidden World. Suddenly, Grimmel appears and captures Toothless and the Light Fury (who followed Toothless). Toothless's alpha status allows Grimmel to capture the rest of Berk's dragons by threatening to kill the Light Fury if any dragon or Berkian attacks. With Astrid's encouragement, Hiccup sets out with the dragon riders to stop Grimmel and his army. Gliding on wingsuits, they catch Grimmel's army off-guard, igniting a battle. Hiccup frees Toothless, while Grimmel drugs the Light Fury into obeying him. Hiccup and Toothless give chase, but Grimmel tranquilizes Toothless midair causing the dragon to fall helplessly. Hiccup, realizing he cannot rescue Toothless alone, frees the Light Fury and implores her to save Toothless before letting go, causing him and Grimmel to fall towards the water. The Light Fury, however, returns to save Hiccup as well while Grimmel impacts the water and dies. Back on the island, Hiccup realizes that dragons will never be safe in the human world. Hiccup bids a tearful farewell to Toothless as all of the Berkians set their dragons free to live in the Hidden World. Toothless and the Light Fury lead the rest of the dragons away to their new home. Sometime later, Hiccup and Astrid marry on the island on which the Berkians have settled. A few years into the future, Toothless and the Light Fury are shown to have mated and have given birth to three hybrid dragon fledglings. Hiccup, Astrid, and their two children sail across the sea to visit them at the edge of the Hidden World. After introducing his children to the dragon world, Hiccup takes their son flying on Toothless while Astrid and their daughter fly on Stormfly, accompanied by the Light Fury and their offspring. Hiccup vows that until humankind can coexist peacefully with dragons, the dragons will stay hidden while the Berkians guard their secret. Cast * Jay Baruchel as Hiccup * Cate Blanchett as Valka * Craig Ferguson as Gobber the Belch * America Ferrera as Astrid * Jonah Hill as Snotlout Jorgenson * Kit Harington as Eret * T. J. Miller and Kristen Wiig as Tuffnut and Ruffnut Thorston * Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Fishlegs Ingerman * F. Murray Abraham as Grimmel * Hank Azaria as Battly * Gerard Butler as Stoick the Vast Production In December 2010, DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg announced that there would also be a third film in the series: "How To Train Your Dragon is at least three: maybe more, but we know there are at least three chapters to that story." Dean DeBlois, the writer and director of the second and the third film, said that How to Train Your Dragon 2 is being intentionally designed as the second act of the trilogy: "There are certain characters and situations that come into play in the second film that will become much more crucial to the story by the third." DeBlois said in an interview that the third part will be released in 2016. Although the series has taken a different path of telling a story of Hiccup and Vikings, Cressida Cowell has revealed that the trilogy and the book series will have similar endings (with "an explanation as to why dragons are no more"). The film is being produced by Bonnie Arnold, and exec-produced by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders. Jay Baruchel, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T. J. Miller and Kristen Wiig are set to return in the third film. Cate Blanchett will also reprise her role as Valka from the second film. On November 14, 2017, it was announced that Kit Harington will reprise his role as Eret and F. Murray Abraham has joined the cast. In the earlier stages of production, DeBlois has stated that Djimon Hounsou would also return as Drago Bludvist, though there has been no recent report of his character's return. On April 17, 2018, DreamWorks announced that the sequel's title has changed to How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. Release In September 2012, 20th Century Fox, the studio's then-distributor partner, and DreamWorks Pictures announced the release date for June 18, 2016, which was later changed to June 17, 2016. In September 2014, the film's release date was moved to June 9, 2017. DeBlois explained the release date shift: "It's just that these movies take three years. I think it was a little ambitious to say 2016 (laughs). As is normally the case, they kind of throw darts out into the future and wherever they land they call that a release date until we start talking about it in practical terms, and then it's like, 'Uh yeah that's not enough time. So knowing that they take three years from this moment, from outlining and writing the screenplay through to the final lighting of it, it's just a process of building models and doing tests and animating, storyboarding, the whole thing just adds up to about three years." In January 2015, the release date was pushed back to June 29, 2018 following corporate restructuring, massive lay-offs, and to maximize the company's "creative talent and resources, reduce costs, and drive profitability." On June 18, 2016, the release date was moved up to May 18, 2018, taking over the release date of Warner Animation Group's The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. On December 5, 2016, the release date was pushed back again to March 1, 2019. Marketing On May 31, 2018, the first poster was released and the first official trailer premiered on June 7. Reception Box office How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World grossed $1.5 million on its opening day in Australia, setting a record for a DreamWorks Animation film in that country (surpassing Puss in Boots). In New Zealand, the film grossed $173,000 on its opening day, ranking as DreamWorks Animation's second biggest opening day in the country, behind Puss in Boots. Critical response On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 91% based on 244 reviews, and an average rating of 7.25/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The rare trilogy capper that really works, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World''brings its saga to a visually dazzling and emotionally affecting conclusion." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale (the same score earned by the first two films), while those at PostTrak gave it a 90% positive score and a 77% "definite recommend." Jennifer Bisset of CNET praised the voice performances of the main characters, while also citing the visuals and action sequences, and singled out the development of the relationship between Hiccup and Toothless, saying, "Continuing a series-long focus on family and love, ''How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World narrows on what those values mean for Toothless. He experiences romance. He grows up. And with heavy, satisfied hearts, we let him, and Hiccup, go." Michael Nordine of IndieWire gave the film a B, saying, "Directed once again by Dean DeBlois, “''The Hidden World''” strikes a bittersweet chord in reminding its young audience that all good things — including the age of dragons — must come to an end." He later went on to applaud the CGI, lauding the "arresting visuals", and stating that "The animation itself is striking — an early sequence in which the sky is filled with dragons is an early sign of the visual treats to come — and ends up being the film’s highlight."55 Ben Kenigsberg of the New York Times gave a positive review of the characters and emotional messages of the film, writing "More bittersweet and less triumphal than its predecessors, and directed by a returning Dean DeBlois, “''The Hidden World''” concerns the exigencies that Hiccup faces as a leader, both politically and personally. If you truly love that dragon you trained, its message says, let him go." Conversely, some critics felt the film had the presence of too many juggled sub-plots and an obligatory ending, with Movie Crypt concluding that "Fans will enjoy seeing their characters grown and progressing as story arcs are closed, but the final resolution rings hollow. Ultimately, none of it appeared necessary other than a need to say goodbye; the dragons and their champions certainly earned a better conclusion than that." Kerry Lengel of Arizona Republic says that "The plot is thin and holey and the characters are mostly just a single gag set on repeat" and calls it "a lazy effort."